Thread-controller for sewing-machines.



L. ONDERDONK.

THREAD CONTROLLER FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, I908.

Patented June 8, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

i'almnntoz Wilma: 0Z 6 I 7 I 3513 THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. FHOTG-LITHO.. WASHINUIvh,

L. ONDERDONK. THREAD CONTROLLER FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPUCATIQN FILED NOV- 13, 1908- 1,142,360. Patented June 8, 1915..

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PErERS 00.. PH010-Ll1Ha. WASHINGTON. D C.

L. ONDERDONK. THREAD CONTROLLER FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, I908. 1,142,360. Patented June 8, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3vatto'onu s THE NORRIS PETERS C0,. FHOTG-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D c

L. ONDERDONK.

THREAD CONTROLLER FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1908.

1,142,360. 7 Patented June 8, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

,il a {H61 W al bi/wig! THE NORRIS PETERS C04. PHOTU-LITHO. WASHINGmN. D. C.

- the action of the thread controller onthe thread 2 LANSING ONDERDONK, on NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO UNION SPECIAL MAcrIINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

" THREAD-CONTR LLER non SEWING-MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern I V Be it known that I, LANSING ONDERDONK, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented "certain new and useful Improvements in Thread-Controllers for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had'to the accompanying drawing and .to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in thread controllers for sewingmachines, and has for its object to provide a thread controller which shall be positive in its movements, quick in its action, and which shall control the thread during substantially all the movements of the needle. I V

A further object-Of the invention is to provide means whereby the various parts of a controller of the above character, may be quickly adjusted, so as to vary, if desired,

Still in part be obvious, and will in part be hereinafter more fully described. 7 f

, Inthe drawings, Figure 1 is an end view of a sewing machinewith the face plate removed, showing my improved-thread controller applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a side view, partly in section, of the head of the machine, showing my improved controller; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic View of the thread and thread guides. Fig. 3 is adetail view, show ing the connection of the thread controller to the needlebar link; Fig. 4 is a side view, showing the connection of the controller to the needle bar; Fig. 5 is a detail view, showing the connection of the .adjustable eyelet to the presser bar; Fig. 6 is an, end View,

showing the parts of a sewing machine of a 'difierent character, having my improvedthread controller applied thereto; Fig. 7 is an end view, showing the thread controller and needle bar in a difi'erent position; Fig.

' 8 is a side view of the head of the machine,

having my thread controller with parts broken away to show the operating mechanism for the controller; and F ig; 9 is a diagrammatic view, showing the operation of my improved thread controller.

The sewing machine as herein shown, consists of a bed plate 1 having a standard 2 carrying an overhanging arm with a needle Specification of Letters Patent.

further objects the invention will Patented June 8, 1915.

- Application filed November 18, 1908. Serial 110,463,256;

head 3, at its forward end. A needle bar 4 reclprocates in bearings 5 and 6. The needle bar, as herein shown, is a short needle bar, which does not extend above the head of the machine, but reciprocates at its upper end in a depending bearing 6, suitably supported by the head .of the machine.

The needle bar 4 carries a needle 7 at its lower end. Cooperating with the needle 7 is a looper 8, which, as herein shown, is of the vertical oscillating type. The presser bar 9 1s of the ordinary construction, and carries a presser foot 10 at its lower end. The needle bar 4 is reciprocated by means of the hnk- 11, which is pivoted at its lower end to a collar 12, secured to the needle bar 4, and

at its upper end to the crank pin 13 of the driving disk mounted on the forward end of the main shaft '14, which is rotated by the usual belt wheel 15.

The thread-controlling arm 15 is provided with a laterally projecting thread-engaging portion 16, which swings between guides 17, 18, carried by a bracket 19, which is adjustably attached to the front plate of the machine by means of a suitable screw and slot connection. Thethread controlling arm 15 is secured to a short shaft 20, which is mountforward end of the machine, is led through a thread eyelet 25, secured to the head of the machine, and thence through an eyelet 26 carried at the forward end of an arm 27 pivoted on ashaft 28. After passing through the eyelet 26, the thread is led through an eyelet 29, which is secured to the needle bar by suitable screws 30, so as to move up and down with the needle bar. After leaving the eyelet 29 the thread passes through the thread guides 17 and 18 and lies in the path of the laterally projecting thread-engaging portion 16 of the thread-controlling arm 15. From the thread guide 18, the thread is led to the eye of the needle.

' The arm 27 "carrying the" thrad'guideQG' is connected to the presser barso thatthe position of the threadeye 26' varies accord- ;ing to the thickness of the fabric. In" Fig- 5- I have shown one way of connecting said thread arm to the presser bar. linthls'em 'bodiment' of my invention, the shaft-28"i"s provided with an arm 31;, whichhas' a rack of the machine, which pinion 32 engages; a rack 33 secured to the 'presseribar, 9. As the presser bar is. raised andl'owered' the varying thicknesses 0t iahric;v similar 7 V movement will'be imparted to the thread guide 26. r i I In F'gs. 6 to9- inclusive, I .have1.'sho wrr my thread controller applied to a machlne wherein the looper oscillatesaboutia: hor1- zontal ,shaftgand the needle: bar extends ab'ovethe-head of thexmachine andcoop'e'r ates with a'thread eye mounte'd'on the head of the machine. In this con struction,.: the: needleba-r 4Q, carrying the. needle 7,. coop-- erateswith. a looper8 The needle bar is. reciprocated by the-e link 1 1i fromu'the mam shaft. The thread-controlling arm. '15 is connected by means of a link 23 directly to the pivotal connection between thelink -ll.

and the collar 12; on the needle bar In this 1 type of machine, there issuflicient-room togive. the necessary length of linkeso that it is not necessary topro-vi'de thenee'dle. lever linik lwith an extension in which to pivot the-link that operates the thread-control llng asshown in, Figsml fl, :5, inclusive.

The; operation, however, fot the thread-eont'rolling. arm is practicallythe same inboth;

types 0f. machines.-. The: needle bar extends above the head of theam'achine -and is pro-- v 90- vided with a thread guide 3%. Cooperating with the thread guide 34 is a thread arm 35 carrying athread eye 36-. Said thread arm 35- is connected by means of a link 37 to a' bracket 38, carried by the presser'bar 9. Go

t-5 operating with thethread-controlling arm ;-rec'tly to the link123 and is pivotedalso to by means of a set screw. 41. In Fig; 9, I havediagrammatically shown the operation' of my thread-controlling arm,

which isillustrated in Figs. 6 to 8; The operation of the thread-controlling arm in Figs. 1 tof5 is-precisely the same and maybe" followedfrom the diagrammatic view shown in Fig. 9.7 When the needle baris at the upper end of its stroke, the needle thread is substantially taut, as the previous stitch is set by the last part of the movement of the needle baron its up stroke, As the needle I Be bar moves from the position indicated 8x11,

Fr i are the ara indicated a2, a

thread-controlling arm moves against the needle-thread andfasit moves away from a straight line connecting the thread eye 36 with the eye of the needle,,the needle thread is'taken" up b'y'thismovement of the threadco'ntrolhng arm. As soon as the needle thread' is brought into contact with the engaging a pinion 32 mounted-yonjthe :hea'dr.

threadguides 1:7. 'andl18, the thread-controlling arm then takes up the thread much faster, When the-needlehasreached the p01 sitioni 3",thelink connecting the threadcontroller with the needle: bar is substantially at right angles: wi thethe: needle bar and the threadrcontrol'lirngi"armnhas reached its extreme forward position-c During this fpart of the movement of the needle an d -the threadcontrolling' arm, the thread controller has operated to takeup the slack, given by the downward movement or the thread'guide 34relativeto the-thread eye 3 6 in: Fig; 7, or

by the. movement; of the thread: guide];29

relative to the thread eye '26- in- Fig. Qg-and" saidr threadncontroller also takes up; "the slack" inz; frontt'of thek'needileg th 'at is, the

thread; controller the thread" back through the.eyezofthe needle, so asto -pre-' vent the thread from getting in the pathofthe needle point. As theneedle continuesits v downward: stroke from the position indicatedati 3 to the posit-ion indicated at 4,

fabric, doubles the thread; ofcourse',; upon Rig. 9, the thread-controlling arm 'moves back, giving up the slacktd'the'needle; j l lile needle eye passing beneath the surface-oftheitself and requires slack in orderto all'ow:

the-needlelto move-tothe lower end "ofitsrj stroke 'Thethread'controller'15;- howev er, merely gives to the needle sufiicient thread-,--

so that-it may move well down between theflOfiQ l looper body andthelooper thread'runni-ng from the eye of the looper to-the-previeusf stitch, and as the nee'dlecontinues itsldown Ward movementfthe loopershedsthe needle" loopiofthe previous stitch. By-g'riring a comparatively small amount of slackto the. needle at this time, the needle-will -operateto draW- on the needle thread and hold'thef needle loop of the previous stitch-- close around'the body of'the'looper' so that the needle point may pass betweengjthe saidneedle loop on'the body of the looper' and I the looper' thread running from the eye of the looper to the previous stitch. Furthermore,- as soona as the previous needle loop; is

slack-is given to the needle thread, so that when the 'needlepointis at its lowest posi- 7 tion, the thread is comparatively slackgin 7 the eye of the needle,-thus obviating a strain on the thread at this time, which" would cause it to kink if-notbreak, andthusthread, and the needle thread will be drawn up. This movement of the thread controller, causes the thread to draw through the eye of the needle slightly, thus giving a smooth thread for the formation of the loop, which will loop better than a crimped thread. Furthermore, this movement of the thread controller drawing on the thread as the needle starts its upward movement, prevents the formation of too large a loop,

which might turn sidewise in the eye of the needle, so that the looper could not engage it, thus causing a skipped stitch, also doubling of thread against the work on the opposite side, when the eye of the needle is moving up into thework, which would cause said eye to cut or break the thread. As the needle continues its upward movement, the thread controller is drawn back, giving up all its slack thread, which will be taken up bythe movement of the thread guide 34:, above the thread eye 36, and as the thread guide 34 reaches the extreme upper end of its stroke, the thread will be pulled up, so as to set the stitch. At this time, the'thread controller is at the rear end of its stroke, so that the draft on the thread is substantially a straight line fromthe eye at the top of the needle bar to the eye of the needle. This straight pull on the needle thread insures a better tightening of the stitch than if drawn over intermediate thread eyes, which cause an angle in the thread at the time of the setting of the stitch.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a thread controller which moves back and forth twice for each reciprocation of the needle, taking up the slack thread and giving up thread at the proper time, so that the needle and looper will operate with certainty to form the stitch, and so that a tight stitch may be produced.

vBy adjusting the position of the fulcrum 39, of the thread controller 15, Figs. 6 to 8, I may vary the controlling action on the thread of the thread controller. The fulcrum is so located in Fig. 6 that the connection between the link and the controller is at a point half waybetween the two extremes of the needle bars throw, and in this position of the parts, the reciprocations of the thread controller will be the same for the upper and lower half of the movement of the needle bar. If .the fulcrum stud of the thread controller is moved up, it carries the point of the connection between the link and the controller above the center of the needle bar stroke, and consequently the outward movement of the controller will be quicker on the first. of the needle bars descent, and the thread controller will move in to a point near the needle bar. This will cause the thread controller. to take up the slack and give it up quicker than when in the central position, and also to give up more slack. It will not, however, take up the slack on the first half of the upward movement of the needle .bar as fast. By lowering the fulcrum of the controller, so that the connection between the link and the controller is below the center of the needle bar stroke, the opposite result is secured. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, 1 accomplish the same adjustment of the thread controller by adjusting the connection between the link 23 and the arm 22, which is secured to the shaft supporting the thread controller. The arm 22 is slotted so as to provide for this adjustment.

Having thus particularly described my invention, whatI claim as new and desire "to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination of a needle bar, a needle, means for reciprocating the needle bar, a thread-carrying looper movable into and out of the needle thread loop for looking a loop of looper thread with the needle thread loop, a take-up for setting the stitch and a slack thread-controlling mechanism including, a thread arm, thread guides 00- operating with said thread arm, and means for moving said thread arm away from and toward the thread guides during the downward movement of the needle bar, whereby the needle thread is taken up on the first part of the downward movement of the needle, and whereby slack is given up to the needle thread on the last part of the downward movement of the needle.

2. The combination of a needle bar, a needle carried thereby, means for reciproeating the needle bar, a thread-carrying looper, means for moving the thread-carrying looper into and out of the needle loop, so that a loop of looper thread is locked with the needle loop, a take-up for setting the stitch and a slack-thread-controlling mechanism including a thread arm, thread guides cooperating with said thread arm, means for moving said thread arm away from and toward said thread guides on the upward movement of the needle, whereby the needle thread is taken up as the needle begins its upward movement and the needle loop thrown out by the needle for the entrance of the looper reduced, and whereby slack is given up to the needle on the last part of its upward movement, and means eating needle a thread-carrying loop'er', means for moving said thread-ear- .7

ryin'g 'looperinto and out of the needle loop, so that a loop of looper thread is loeked with the needle loop, a thread guiding eye can ried by the upper "end/o1 the needle bar; a thread 'guid'e coperating' therewith and so disposed that the thread eye in the needle bar moves above said thread guide to take up the thread andset {the stitch, and a slack thread controlling mechanism including a thread "arm, thread g n-ides cooperating-"With needle, means for reoiproeating the needle bar, a thread-carrying lo'oper movable "into a 's'l'ael'r-thread controlling' mechanism inarmltwice for one reciprocation of the needle bar, "and means whereby the fulcrum 'of the the needle bar.

in presenoe rof two-witnes ses v v M LANSING ONDE RDON K. Witnessesr f l 'RfS'. OSWALD, y

D. CHURCHILL.

- Copies of this-yaten't may he obtained for five e'n ts ea'e'h, acfir ess ingthe Commissiener ot fBate-n ts," i v eiwashingtongn-flif 7 Y r l l and out "of the needle loop forf'locking' a loop of looper' thread with the needlejloop, a take updeviee' for setting the stitch, and

"25 eluding a threadarm disposed substantially I parallel with the needle f'bar, thread-guides codperating with said thread arm, a linki eonnesting said thread arm With said'needle;

barzand operating to reciprocate thej't'hreadlao "thread arm may be adjusted in a direction substantially parallel with the movement of r Intestimony whereof I-afiixmy signaturg 

